Amanda Ann Palmer 

Hartland, VT 

Amanda Ann Palmer grew up on a farm with two brothers and an amazing bamboo forest. The three of them would spend all day every day building a massive fort with the bamboo stalks. The entire design was improved with the idea to mark the walkways with stones. Sometimes while unearthing these stones, they would find ourselves prying tractor parts or wriggling old glass bottles free from the ground. These treasured relics would be given a useful job in the fort.

In 2005, Amanda Ann earned her BFA with a concentration in sculptural ceramics. She has been honing her skills and cultivating her aesthetic of clean lines and smooth geometric forms. Her work is reminiscent of her childhood adventures. She says, “It is me telling myself the story again. I get to dig my hands into the earth every day. My fingers find their way around the clay to discover an object that will be cleaned up and given a purpose. In my ceramic work, I explore the shapes and tactility of rural industry, referencing often the imposing form of the grain silo and the heavy texture of corrugated metal. My pots are wheel thrown with strong horizontal contours and I use an iron-red clay that shows through the glaze on the textured areas, Working in series, each pot is hand made with mix and match sets in mind. Having fun is important and I want my ware to encourage playfulness.”